Good Morning Britain's Ed Balls shut down by Sharon Stone over 'set up' question

Good Morning Britain viewers flocked to social media to comment after Sharon Stone shut down Ed Balls over a "set up" question live on air. During the latest ITV news programme on Thursday (May 9), hosts Ed and Kate Garraway spoke to the Hollywood icon live from Los Angeles.

They were talking to Sharon about swapping Hollywood movie scripts for painting, revealing that one painting in particular depicts her near-death experience.

In 2001, the actress who starred in 1992 film Basic Instinct suffered a stroke that led to a nine-day brain bleed. And Sharon has previously revealed that doctors thought she was "faking" what turned out to be a brain haemorrhage that had resulted from a ruptured vertebral artery.

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After a happy and comfortable start to the interview, Ed decided to ask Sharon about Hollywood's Me Too movement after the actress recently claimed that a film producer told her that if she slept with her co-star, it would make their on-screen chemistry better, the Mirror reports.

Talking about the claims on Thursday's show, Ed said: "Sharon, you are campaigning to improve mental health and support for people with the World Health Organization. There's been a huge change because of the Me Too movement, conviction of Harvey Weinstein, a different place now I hope the film industry in Los Angeles compared to when you were there.

"When you look back, on those early points in your career, the fact that the Hollywood producer Robert Evans advised you to have sex with your fellow lead William Baldwin on the 93 movie Sliver to improve his performance? When you look back on those times, how do you feel today about what producers said to you back then?"

However, Sharon immediately shut down Ed's question as she said: "Well, first of all, you're setting me up with the: 'Did you beat your wife yet' comment. So first of all, I'm not going to validate the statement that you just made as if it is true, so we're not going to do that, to start with. So I'd like to restart with a new question somewhere else."

Taking to Twitter, now X, viewers were quick to praise Sharon for shutting down the "not needed" question. One person said: "What a nice interview but now ruined by asking a question from 20/25 years ago...that was just not needed. #GMB", a different account put: "Sharon Stone just put him in his place. #gmb Good for you, Sharon!" while another added: "Loving Sharon Stone, try again Ed... #GMB."

Elsewhere, a different account put: "Shazza puts Balls in his place #GMB", another wrote: "Sharon Stone shutting Ed RIGHT down very eloquently. Liking this woman more and more... #gmb", a different viewer put: "Well done Sharon Stone for putting him in his place #GMB" while another simply added: "Sharon stone - class act #gmb."